In one, long-anticipated model year Ford has changed all that, and in doing so brings new respect to the venerable steed.
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| Ford got the new car's exterior quality spot on, shown here in base trim. It's a great leap forward from any previous 'Stang. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Starting on the outside, panel gaps are straight, narrow and equally spaced. Paint quality is superb, and there's no body-filler present under the trunklid, despite my various test cars being pre-production units. Yeah, Ford got the new car's exterior quality spot on, a great leap forward from any previous 'Stang. What about inside? Any Fox-bodied Mustang owner, that would be anyone who bought a 1979 through 2004 version, will be impressed with the new cabin. It looks superb, offers serious improvements in fit and finish, and even includes real aluminum trim featuring a unique horizontally etched pattern on GT models. The seats are supportive, switchgear much better than anything that came before and ergonomics also a major upgrade. Pretty well everything is better, including plastics quality. The latter subject, however, would be my only complaint. Although at
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| Any Fox-bodied Mustang owner, that would be anyone who bought a 1979 through 2004 version, will be impressed with the new cabin. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
its mere $23K and change ($19K USD) starting point I find it difficult to gripe about common grade plastics, when fully loaded GT models get into the mid-$30s and the tactile sensation that comes from soft-touch plastics are more common. I was hoping that Ford would really stretch in this area, taking the opportunity to serve up similar perceived quality levels to what Chrysler Group is starting to offer in most of its recent products and GM is beginning to deliver inside its new
Pontiac G6 and
Buick Allure (LaCrosse). This issue, however, while bothering a certified import snob like myself and possibly stymieing the purchasing potential of conquest buyers that could be lured away from premium brands such as BMW (again I would be one such customer), won't be an issue in the slightest to diehard Mustang followers. These will be blown away by all of the improvements, most importantly driving dynamics.
